Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I saw two statistics once which said, “of 3,200 children’s books published in 2013, just 93 were about African-Americans” and that same year “only 8% of children’s books were written by or about people of color.” I see this as a major challenge to which I have two options, complain in silence or take action. I choose the latter.
One of my greatest joys in life is being Sebastian and Maverick’s daddy who, at the time of this writing are 3 years and 5 months old respectively. My wife and I love books and since they were born, we’ve shared that love with them. In my opinion, it is important for children to see characters in books that look like themselves…in positive and empowering ways. There aren’t many things more beautiful than a confident child! And even though a lot of boys are ‘momma’s boys’ there isn’t a more powerful thing to see than when a father develops a relationship with his son(s). My prayer is that one day, when someone asks Sebastian and Maverick who they admire, “My Dad” is included in the list. I’d imagine most men with children, but especially with sons, would want the same thing.
So, we’ve decided to publish a series of children’s books for everyone to enjoy which will highlight the relationship between African-American dads and their sons.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is “Daddy What’s That Noise?” It’s a book designed for babies and toddlers and it was inspired by Sebastian, my oldest son.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I procrastinate on my writing from time to time…yeah, I know, unusual right?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Most of my influences are in the personal development genre like Les Brown, John C. Maxwell, Jim Rohn, Napoleon Hill, and Tony Robbins to name a few.

What are you working on now?
I have a few ideas I’m hashing out on paper right now.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I tend to use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and of course Amazon!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would say be relentless about taking daily action toward your goals.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Take one more step!” -Marathon Runner

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Going to keep the momentum going and create another book!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival, The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle, and Think and Grow Rich.

Eugene Bell’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write heart-rending, gripping contemporary women’s fiction, which I’m hugely flattered to say has been compared to the legendary Maeve Binchy with ‘edge’.

My stories are multi-generational family dramas with a touch of romantic suspense and mystery. Born in England and bought up in Dublin, my novels usually have a very distinctive Irish flavour – I love writing about the landscape of my homeland.

To date I’ve written four full-length novels – three in the Heartfelt Series – The Hollow Heart, A Change of Heart and Secrets of the Heart. Plus my latest That Summer at the Seahorse Hotel – a standalone romantic suspense.
I’ve also written a highly acclaimed collection of short stories and poems entitled Fur Coat & No Knickers.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
That Summer at the Seahorse Hotel is my brand new, full length standalone romantic suspense. Many years ago I read a story about a young girl who inherited the entire estate of a movie star she had never even heard of. This started me thinking, imagine if you never knew who your father was and this happened. And so the tale began …

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write longhand – as did the great Jackie Collins – but I’m left handed so I write from back to front in my notebooks, making comments like chapter headings and character traits in the front of the book so I don’t forget them. I write anywhere and everywhere, on trains, airplanes, anywhere I can be left alone for a while in my own little world.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
One of my favourite authors is PG Wodehouse, his lightness of touch is incomparable. I love F. Scott Fitzgerald, Evelyn Waugh, Maeve Binchy, Mary Wesley and Winston Graham – who created the wonderful Poldark.
Jackie Collins, Penny Vincenzi, Adele Parks, Jodi Picoult and JK Rowling are more modern influences and Nora Roberts is a goddess in my opinion.

What are you working on now?
My new romantic suspense, called A Most Deadly Affair, features a beautiful Dublin socialite who inherits the family business – a funeral directors. Her younger brother is furious and sets up in competition. He’s determined to ruin the long-standing family firm and has enlisted the help of a man his sister finds not only impossible to trust but completely irresistible. Yet she’s determined they won’t succeed, and if they do, it will be over more than just her dead body!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Blog tours hosted by book bloggers are invaluable, plus Twitter and Facebook.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get a team of supporters around you and stick with them. Writers, reviewers, friends and family, people you can rely on to support you on social media and keep talking about your books in lots of different ways. For instance, highlighting characters, research, places, food anything of interest featured in the story. I’m often surprised by what attracts people to become fascinated by what you have written.
Be honest, helpful and true to yourself. Try and reciprocate whatever kind deed someone has done for you – a review, a retweet or a pat on the back. And try to connect with your readers, it’s a wonderful when they tell you how your book made them feel – hold onto that when you’re gazing at that blank page!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write bananas. Seriously, when you’re stuck write bananas over and over again. You’re brain will soon get fed up and form a proper sentence … then … off you go!

What are you reading now?
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. It’s a wonderful book. Original, poignant and surprisingly funny in places, I’m really enjoying it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll finish A Most Deadly Affair and hope my publisher likes it, but I’m being nagged to write a prequel for That Summer at the Seahorse Hotel, and it’s not just reviewers who are nagging me, it’s the characters! I may be left with no choice.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
This selection would change every time I was asked to make it, you do realise that don’t you?
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Poldark by Winston Graham. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and The Oxford Dictionary – love reading dictionaries.

Author Websites and Profiles
Adrienne Vaughan Website
Adrienne Vaughan Amazon Profile
Adrienne Vaughan Author Profile on Smashwords

Adrienne Vaughan’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been a trial lawyer in Illinois for over 40 years. Three years ago I was inspired to write my memoir, Chicago Law: A Trial Lawyer’s Journey. The following year I wrote a book with a spiritual theme: Tales From Healdsburg: A Story of Self-Awakening. My latest book is a self- help book: Recipe for Success: The Key Ingredients for Living Successfully.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Recipe for Success: The Key Ingredients for Living Successfully is my latest book. I was inspired to write it the lawyer I am currently mentoring. I have mentored around 30 other men and women and taught them how to be trial lawyers as well as fine upstanding human beings. This book contains all the other lessons I wanted them to incorporate with experience of working together. This helped to polish up all the fundamentals I tried to teach them.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write when I am inspired. When inspired it is like someone is dictating the words tome and I can’t type them fast enough. I get it all down one chapter at a time and then go back and clean it up several times until it is presented in a final way that I would find suitable to give to a Supreme Court Justice to review. I try to make it as perfect as I can once my draft is down on paper and out of my mind. I write in bursts like this from an outline to give structure to what I am writing. I already have the structure in mind and then flesh it out with my narrative.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I was very influenced by everything written by Joseph Campbell as well as Carl Jung. I like reading about comparative religion and studying mythology and psychology. I have always been addicted to self-help books from Norman Vincent Peale, Napoleon Hill, Leo Buscaglia, Tony Robbins, and Zig Ziglar.

What are you working on now?
I work for the law firm I founded in 1984 as the managing partner and senior partner. The firm’s name is Garofalo, Schreiber & Storm, Chartered. We are located in downtown Chicago, Ill. Our practice is concentrated in defending Illinois workers’ compensation cases and employers’ liability cases. We have 19 attorneys in our firm and I hired each one and trained the majority of lawyers who work in our firm.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I normally post about my books on Facebook and Linkedin. I also have an extensive mailing list of around 1,500 contacts and I email them when I’ve written a new book. Most of my readers are lawyers I know and business contacts and clients I’ve come to know over the course of my career.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
When a subject grips you and you feel the urge to write, make the time to write! We are all busy and other items can easily take priority but when you feel you have something in you that needs to come out and you have to share it with other people, make the time to write and let your creativity come pouring out. It will be good for you and what you have to say will probably be helpful to those who read what you write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Follow your bliss. Do whatever grips you and go wherever it leads you. There may be no chartered course but if you follow your bliss it will put you on a path where developments occur, people will enter your life, outside influences will bear on you that you never anticipated and it will all lead you where you need to go. Have faith in the process. Wherever you bliss takes you will be your destiny. The journey you are on is what matters, not the end result.

What are you reading now?
I just started reading A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. I love Joyce.
I just finished The Last Juror by John Grisham. I am a sucker for Grisham’s books and have read all of them.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m not sure what I will write next. I’ve written a memoir, a spiritual book and a self-help book to spread my mentoring beyond those whom I’ve personally mentored. The logical next step will be a novel and I’m thinking of some ideas about how I could structure a novel.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A translation of the books found at Nag Hammadi that were not included in the New Testament; Ulysses by James Joyce; Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda; The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

Joseph Garofalo’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the entrepreneur, a passionate coder, and hard-working researcher. When it comes to programming I am basically a self-taught programmer with a great passion for programming. I can code for hours and hours forgetting about everything. Apart from coding, reading books and writing poems are my hobbies. As I got involved very much into technical stuff I started writing one technical blog on Medium and surprisingly I got published in many big publications like ‘The Startup’,’Buzzrobot’,’Good-Audience’, etc. I have also written guest posts on many well-known blogs and I discovered my passion. My new book ‘Artificial neural networks: The brain behind AI’ is also a compilation of my blog posts and notes. This is the first book I have written till now.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
As I said ‘Artificial neural networks: The brain behind AI’ is my latest book. I have been writing about neural networks for a long time on my blog and people were responding very positively to my posts. Recently I also converted my most read blog posts into audio stories and that helped me in increasing blog views and followers. Great response from my readers inspired me to write this book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Actually no. But yes I prefer writing at night.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have read a lot of books and blogs on Neural networks. And Neural Network is also one of my favorite research topics. That’s why I must say that I have learned from so many people and so many books that mentioning one and forgetting others will really hurt me. But still, if you wanna hear one name then ‘Artificial Intelligence for Humans, Volume 3: Deep Learning and Neural Networks’ is a book by Jeff Heaton from which I have started with.

What are you working on now?
I am working on Neural Networks primarily. I also have some research projects going on related to Blockchains and smart contracts.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think Amazon KDP and Promotions are nice if you are publishing on Amazon. Websites like awesome gang are also good for promotions. Self-promotion is still always better.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am also a new author that’s why I don’t think I am eligible to answer that question but still, I wanna say that if you are passionate about something write about it, people will surely find it useful.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you are asking with respect to writing then it’s just always “Be consistent and be passionate.” When it comes to real life I have always been advised that don’t get so much emotionally connected with anyone. connections hurt so much.

What are you reading now?
I used to read books from all categories and apart from the technical stuff I am reading ‘Where the Past Begins: A Writer’s Memoir’ by Amy Tan.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am working on blockchains now and learned so many new things during my work so I am thinking of writing a book on blockchain and applications of blockchains I worked with.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I will bring Jonathon Livingston Seagull, Don Quixote, The Odyssey, and Mrutyunjaya with me.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jayesh Ahire Website
Jayesh Ahire Amazon Profile

Jayesh Ahire’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is unusual in that, my mum died of cancer a few years ago.

Last year I got a call from Mum’s brother. He’d been storing a trunk of her things for way too long. Would I please come and take charge of it? I brought it home, set it in the middle of the living room, and cut through the padlock with a hacksaw.

There were a few photos of the three of us that are now among my most cherished possessions. A couple of handbills about an upcoming march. A picture of Herman’s Hermits (go figure). And manuscript after hand-written manuscript of stories Mom had written. Love stories. Romantic fiction.

I was gobsmacked!

You see, I share my mother’s dyslexia. I find writing to be painfully difficult, and I can only suspect that she did, too. And yet, here were all of these romances she’d written.

Granted, I only knew her as my mother, and she must have had other relationships with other people, but who was this woman? The mum I remember was always in a hurry, often strident, and quite passionate. Of course, there’s a difference between passion for a cause and romantic passion, but I don’t recall ever seeing this tender, softer, sometimes wistful side of her.

I would have given anything to spend one more day with my mum even before I opened the trunk. Now, seeing her from an adult’s perspective, reading her private thoughts and the stories of her imagination, I often found myself crying tears of sadness and happiness in equal measure.

Eventually I got this crazy idea of sharing her stories with the world. It has taken months to type the pages and make them readable. As I mentioned, I’m dyslexic, too. And one dyslexic trying to understand another dyslexic’s writing would have been enough of a challenge without the tears that kept blurring the pages.

But, I’m finally done. I’ve loved every moment spent rendering the imagination of the woman who through genetics, and her example, is responsible for my own creativity.

I feel we have co-written the books

How many books? nearly 20 but it is going to take me some time to go through them.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Love Through time. It was the longest book, my mum wrote. It’s about someone losing love and finding love and moving both physically and emotionally, in the most unexpected place.

Although she never dated any of the books, my guess would be she wrote this just after my mum and dad split up and she moved to a new house hundreds of miles away and I think she was looking for a new beginning.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Being dyslexic myself and my mum being dyslexic, first I have to work out the spelling, work out what I think my mum was trying to say and fit it into the story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My mums writing for sure as I have never read romance, and I am so pleased my mum wrote clean romance.
For me, I like Lee Child and James Patterson books

What are you working on now?
Bend in the road
With the rest of their lives stretched out before them, Georgia and Casey are living in the dream-like haze of their retirement from their professional athletic careers, and they find themselves facing some difficult decisions including their separation from one another as they try to move on with their lives. Despite their impending separation, the spark between them turns into a flame and they try to build a future where they can be together. However, this is easier said than done and both Georgia and Casey know that they will leave an inevitable trail of devastation and heartbreak in their wake.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As I am new to promoting this type of book it has been Amazon and the website I set up for this project.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t let anything stop you, anything that you think could be holding you back can also be a gift. I look at my dyslexia as a gift, it can be painfully frustrating, double the work as a writer but still a gift.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Good writing is bad writing

What are you reading now?
honeymooners by James Patterson. I thought watching James’s online class would help me with this project

What’s next for you as a writer?
Tackle more books writtern by my mum

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Don Quixote de la Mancha
Calvin and Hobbs complete collection
Love through time, to remind me of my mum

Author Websites and Profiles
John Rice Website
John Rice Amazon Profile

John Rice’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was raised in a small town in western New York that’s surrounded, on all sides, by farms and is known for having more cows than people. Growing up there wasn’t much to do, so having a good imagination was the only thing that kept me sane. I had thoughts, I had ideas, and I had many, many characters, notes, and stories written in a lot of notebooks. I just finished my first book based on everything I’ve collected over the years, but it isn’t the last. It’s the first of many more to come in my Tellus series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is titled Quint: The Boy, The Book and The Buildings. It was inspired by the collection of writings that I’ve accumulated over the years. Once I figured out what I had, and how everything I’ve written connected, it all just seemed to fall into place.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if what I do is unusual. I work a full time job and have two kids, so finding time can be difficult. What I do is get up a few hours before I have to get ready for work, when the house is quiet and I can concentrate, and dedicate what little time I have to my books. I typically hand write first and make my first major edits as I type the pages up.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Terry Pratchett. His discworld series is the best thing I’ve ever read. I also enjoy Neil Gaiman and JK Rowling.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m working on the second book in my Tellus series. The Rise and Fall of Vance Favalolo.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t done much promoting. My first book will be released on April 8th, 2018 and all I’ve done, so far, is a goodreads giveaway.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m a new author myself, so I’m not sure any advice from me is worth anything yet. But, what I can say is that it was hard for me to put my book, put myself, out there. I was nervous and I was scared. Take the plunge. Once I let the first person in, it only gets easier. And it gets exciting. Don’t be ashamed of what you have to say. Tell your story and share it with the world.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write every day.

What are you reading now?
Sourcery by Terry Pratchett.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep on writing. I’ve created my own world, now I have to share the stories of that world. I have to tell all the details and it’s history.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Color of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Invisible Monsters, and Stardust.

Author Websites and Profiles
JD LaFrance Website
JD LaFrance Amazon Profile

JD LaFrance’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am from Mimoso, a small village in Northeastern Brazil. My passion for literature began still in adolescence. I readed the books made available at the Library of a Local Foundation. It was my only opportunity because I did not have money to buy books. With the maturity, I became a writer with more than twenty books written and translated into more of a dozen languages. I also draw, produce audio books, graphic novels and cartoons. In addition, I am an independent singer and songwriter. Soon, I will release some songs on the Internet.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Divine Mediator. It speaks about the apparitions of the Virgin Mary. I began to write it because of a special request. It is currently being rewritten.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sometimes ,I used to wake up at dawn to write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Paulo Coelho,Machado de Assis and Jorge Amado.

What are you working on now?
Review of my works.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Which have patience in an increasingly crowded market. We must always persist in the dream.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Disclosure is the key to success.

What are you reading now?
George R Martin.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My readers.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, Opposing Forces and The Dark Night of the Soul.

Author Websites and Profiles
ALDIVAN TEIXEIRA TORRES Website
ALDIVAN TEIXEIRA TORRES Amazon Profile
ALDIVAN TEIXEIRA TORRES Author Profile on Smashwords

ALDIVAN TEIXEIRA TORRES’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in the city with my husband, who makes sure I look great on all the photos and two kids. But I dream of moving into a cottage in the most remote corner of Scotland, where I could write steamy contemporary romances, stare at the Ocean and eat scones. The rest of the family isn’t impressed.

I love to write as much as I love to travel. I combine the two in my debut novel and on my award-winning family travel blog Coolkidzcooltrips. You can find me sitting at the computer before dawn and on the playground every afternoon chasing my girls and thinking of the next plot twist.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of the book is Faodail, a Scottish word for a lucky find. It is set in Altnaharra, a fictional remote island far in the North of Scotland, where the weather is moody and everyone knows everyone’s business. I got the idea for the book, when we were in the North of Scotland on holiday, staying in the small whitewashed cottage overlooking the cliffs and the sea. Not wanting to leave, I figured if I write about it, I can keep returning there in mind over and over again.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I just procrastinate a lot :).

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have an eclectic taste and love to read a lot. I am a huge fan of Daniel Silva and his spy novels, I love good thrillers but sometimes only a romance will do. I like Maya Banks, Nora Roberts, Kristen Proby, etc.

What are you working on now?
Faodail is a standalone novel, but not wanting to leave Scotland, I am writing a novel, which centers around one of the characters introduced in Faodail.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’d say bother people.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. I know it’s simple and we’ve all heard it, but writing is daunting and I know I often wonder why am I even doing this. But at the same time I can’t imagine not doing it. So, my advice to new authors is don’t give up writing and keep trying. Something will eventually work. This I tell myself too.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Try a different approach. If it doesn’t work, try another different approach. Don’t give up.

What are you reading now?
I am reading Tova Mirvis’s The Outside world.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing, that’s for sure.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
2 Daniel Silva’s books, I could read those over and over again. Something from Rachel Gibson and Pablo Neruda’s poetry to keep me sane.

Author Websites and Profiles
Inga Batur Website
Inga Batur Amazon Profile

Inga Batur’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
After twenty-five years as a software engineer, I threw off the bonds of steady employment and sailed my 56-foot boat to Mexico where I lived for two years. I’m the self-proclaimed best Mexican chef in the world (or at least in Point Loma) and a private pilot.

I’ve written ten books. The first, Blue Water & Me, is the story of my father’s life as a commercial fisherman. The second, Christmas Inc., was Amazon’s #1 best seller in December 2013 when Stephen Colbert’s I Am America, and So Can You, came in #2.

My best selling Ted Higuera series is about a young Latino computer security analyst. He is hired by large corporations to test the security of their systems. What he finds in those systems sometimes leads him into thrilling adventures.

The Catrina Flaherty Mysteries is based on a real-life kick-ass female PI that I did some consulting work for. Like with the Ted Higuera Series, all of the Cat stories are based on real-life cases.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is The Chinatown Murders, A Catrina Flaherty Mystery. It’s book #3 in the series.

A serial rapist is loose in Seattle’s Chinatown. He accidently escalates to murder and enjoys it so much he begins a killing spree. The victims and their families can’t go to the police because they are undocumented immigrants. They fear deportation.

Who you gonna call?

Cat Flaherty.

Catrina pursues the killer with her usual grit and determination, but the ending will truly shock you.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
They’re normal for me. I don’t know if anyone else goes to the same lengths I do.

As a former software engineer, I am very process oriented. I’ve developed a process for writing that allows me to move forward at a fast pace, yet still produce a quality product.

First of all, I start with the idea. I am bombarded with news stories that I could write about all the time. For instance, I was at the check stand in the grocery store when I saw a People magazine with a cover story about a man who allegedly murdered his two wives. This was a Catrina story just waiting to be written. The results: Murder Strikes Twice.

Once I have the story, I write a beat sheet. The beet sheet is a 30,000 foot view of the story. It lays out the plot, the characters and some of the highlights.

When this is done, I know who the characters are. Then I write detailed character sketches for each of them. When I introduced Catrina, her character sketch was five pages long.

Now I know the story, the plot and the characters. I write a detailed outline. This may encompass 15 or 20 pages. It has an entry for every scene in the book.

When the outline is complete, I start writing. I know the story so well, that my fingers just move across the keyboard with out conscious thought on my part. I’m just typing out the movie that is playing in my mind. I get the same excitement and joy that a reader gets as they read the story as it unfolds on my screen.

I am not married to the outline. I’m flexible enough to make changes, add scenes, delete scenes and introduce new characters as the story unfolds. The ending of The Cartel Strikes back was not even a glimmer in my eye when I began the story, but as I got into it, this dynamite ending came to me and I had to go back and rewrite scenes to build up to it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My earliest influencers were Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughs. I try to copy Burroughs’ style in all of my books with multiple plot lines coming together in the end.

More recently, I greatly admire Elizabeth George. She writes the Inspector Lynley Mysteries. Her stories are character driven. I am so into the developments in Lynley and Sargent Haver’s lives, that I don’t care who dunnit.

Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum are my heroes as far as thrilers go. They really knew their stuff.

My idol is Michael Connelly. Harry Bosch is my all-time favorite hard-bitten cop.

There are so many other great authors I could mention. I read a lot and shamelessly steal great ideas wherever I can find them.

What are you working on now?
I’m really liking this. My new book, tentatively titled Cyberwarfare, is a Ted Higuera thriller. Terrorists launch an all-out cyber-attack on the United States and frame Ted for it. Ted it picked up by the FBI and must find the real hackers to prove is innocence.

I’m having so much fun with this one that I should pay the readers to read it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Bookbub is the 800 pound gorilla on the block. If you can get a Bookbub promotion, your set for the next three months. However, they have become so picky in the books they select, I haven’t been able to run a promotion with them for over a year.

The best method I’ve found to promote my books is free giveaways. The first book in the Ted Higuera Series, The Inside Passage, is perma-free. I give away lots of this book and readers go on to read the rest of the series.

I usually run a give away promotion once a month. This brings new readers.

I also have an extensive mailing list. I use it to inform my readers of new books and special offers. Sometimes I do a give away just for the readers on my list to reward them for their loyalty.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Join a writers critique group. I mean a good one.

When I was getting started, I joined two or three groups before I found the right one. In these groups everyone was too polite to give you any real criticism. They said things like, “Oh, I love your characters,” or “The plot really moves along.” I told them, “Tell me what’s wrong with my book,” and they didn’t give me a response.

I was lucky enough to be invited to a group of published authors who were all better writers than me. I learned so much from them I can never repay it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There are no such things as great writers. Only great re-writers.

As Hemmingway said “First drafts are shit.”

My first book took 14 drafts. Now I write at least 3 drafts of every book.

What are you reading now?
The Survivors, Life After War by Angels White.

This is the first of her Survivors series and a wonderful story. I admire her imagination in building a believable post-apocalyptic world. However she makes a lot of amateur mistakes in her writing. I’d like to see her get a good developmental editor.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The Ted Higuera Series and Catrina Flaherty Mysteries roll on. I have the stories down for the next book in each series and I can’t wait to get started writing them.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet
The Master and Commander series by Patrick O’Brien
anything my Michael Connelly.

Author Websites and Profiles
Pendelton Wallace Website
Pendelton Wallace Amazon Profile

Pendelton Wallace’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Quietus is my first novel which came out in November, 2017. I also wrote Cradling the Past, A Biography of Margaret Shaw.
I have several short stories published in journals in Canada and USA.
I am a former school teacher and I now teach creative writing to adults. I enjoy long walks, classical and pop music.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Quietus. The word, quietus, means death. I read about WWII Germany and how the Nazis dehumanized people. I also read some history of the Russian revolution and the revolution in China. There are a lot of similarities.
What is to prevent totalitarianism from creeping into our society, from infiltrating the education system, media, courts and religious institutions? Stalin said, “Ideas are more powerful than guns. We don’t let our people have guns. Why should we let them have ideas?”
In our current society, euthanasia and eugenics are slowly becoming more acceptable. The the question that inspired Quietus: What is to prevent a dictatorship from using euthanasia as a form of population control?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My favorite time to write is in the morning. I pick a piece of classical music to match the mood of scene I’m writing, whether somber, upbeat, or intense. It helps to focus my mind.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love reading history. I also love literary fiction, for example, books by – Don Gillmore, Alice Munro, Carol Shields, Donna Tartt, Elizabeth Strout, as well as classical authors such as Tolkien, Jonathan Swift and Charles Dickens. Lately, I’ve taken an interest in dystopian fiction, which influenced Quietus. The Road by Cormac McCarthy, 1984 by George Orwell, The Giver by Lois Lowry. A non-fiction book by Sharyl Attkisson, called Stonewalled, was my inspiration for one of my characters in Quietus.

What are you working on now?
I have a novel coming out summer, 2018, called Yin Yang Eyes. It is a YA novel about a Chinese girl living in Borneo during the Japanese invasion in WWII. She and her family have to escape into the jungle to survive for the duration of the war.
I am currently writing a sequel to Quietus and a sequel to Yin Yang Eyes.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I primarily use Twitter, my Facebook author page and my website to promote my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Number one, learn the craft. Take creative writing classes. Read and practice. Read and practice. Read and practice some more. Once you’ve done all that, write your practice novel, then you can write your real novel. Get a good editor who understands your vision. Then you must learn about the publishing industry.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be true to your voice. Let the writing be sensory, (show don’t tell).

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading The Sympathizer, by Viet Thanh Nguyen. It’s the story of a spy during the Vietnam War. Next on my list is In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote, and after that I will read The Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes and then The Magic Mountain, by Thomas Mann.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will publish Yin Yang Eyes and my two sequels. After that? Time will tell.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Seeing as how I read 3 or 4 books a month, I better not be stranded for very long. I think I would take along a survival guide in addition to the works of C.S. Lewis and Chesterson.

Author Websites and Profiles
Madelaine Shaw-Wong Website
Madelaine Shaw-Wong Amazon Profile

Madelaine Shaw-Wong’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Michael Wigington, I live in Texas amongst the pine trees and am married to a wonderful woman and between us we have four kids and two grandchildren.
I get inspiration from great authors like J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert Jordan and Bernard Cornwell. I loves classic lit and especially fantasy and mythology genres. Nothing is more rewarding than reading a page-turning novel packed with adventure where characters become your best friends and heroes, and you hate to leave them when you reach the last page.

I love C.S. Lewis’ quote, ‘You can make anything by writing.’

I have written two books, a full-length novel and a novella and am currently working on my fourth third novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Shadows of Wychering is my latest and it is a prequel to my novel The Bloodstone Reckoning.

What inspired Shadows of Wychering – well, that’s a neat story. I there is a “legend” of a character in my novel, a mage of renown, and I decided that she needed to have her own story, to kind of help define who she is and how she came into prominence. So I wrote her origin story in the form my the novella Shadow of Wychering.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know. I am one of those people who will find a way to write one way or another. I once wrote a 6000 word scene in the bathtub on my cell phone in Google Docs

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are a few, JRR Tolkien is the master! His prose is unequaled. His use of words is amazing. Bernard Cornwell is a huge influence on me. His ability to tell a story is out of this world. I can (and have) read his books over and over many times. CS Lewis, and Robert Jordan inspire me. Their books have stood the test of time as well. And let’s not forget David Eddings who created a great world with some cool characters in his Belgarion and Mallorean series.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the second book in my series, it’s the sequel to The Bloodstone Reckoning.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still learning to market, its a big curve! But I will get there.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, write every day! and get a developmental editor, especially for your first book!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Writing is easy, you just open a vein and bleed.”

What are you reading now?
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to retire my from full-time job and write for a living.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien and The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell

Author Websites and Profiles
Michael Wigington Website
Michael Wigington Amazon Profile
Michael Wigington Author Profile on Smashwords

Michael Wigington’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written and published two novels. “Prophets of the Otherworld” was my first, and “Massacre at Sundown” was my second. Both are the opening acts in projected trilogies.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Massacre at Sundown” was the name of my last book. I was looking for a title with a “western” feel, but I also wanted it to convey the horror elements that ran throughout the story. Massacre at Sundown sort of came to me while I was writing the first few pages.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not exactly unusual. I like listening to music while I write. I put on my headphones, crank up some heavy metal, and I go to work.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Bernard Cornwell is my favorite living author. I just get lost in his books. There are definitely influences from Cornwell’s work in my books even though I write in completely different genres. Clive Barker is also a big influence. He is so imaginative and dark. There are many other authors I love. Frank Herbert, Stephen King, Mary Shelley, J.K. Rowling, George R.R. Martin, Alan Moore, Oscar Wilde, Poe, Lovecraft. They have all influenced me in a way. Some more than others, as I think you can see in my work, but there are little pieces of each of them somewhere in the pages.

What are you working on now?
I am working on finishing a Christmas themed horror novel called “Grim Tidings.” The rough draft has been done for some time, and I am doing a rewrite. I hope to have it done and released by this coming Christmas. I am also outlining the second part of the “Massacre at Sundown Trilogy.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook ads more than anything right now, but I am looking for new ways to reach more people.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep at it, and don’t let sales figures change you. If you don’t sell well, keep writing. If you sell well enough, keep writing. This should be done for the love of storytelling above all else.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s actually something I read in the preface to “Heretics of Dune” by Frank Herbert. “If someone enters a bookstore and sets down hard earned energy (money) for your book, you owe that person some entertainment and as much more as you can give.”

When I work, I try not to worry about how well it might sell, because it would drive me crazy. Instead, I try to make it as best as I can. That all comes back to the reader. It’s something authors owe their readers, I think. If you pick up my horror/western book, I want you to be entertained.

What are you reading now?
I am reading the new Angus Donald novel, “Blood’s Game.”

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am attending New York Book Con in June. I am also preparing to convert “Massacre at Sundown” into an audio book. Of course, I also have my Christmas horror novel to finish, and I am trying to find time to do a new edition of my first novel, “Prophets of the Otherworld.”

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. Dune Messiah
2. Pillars of the Earth
3. The Holy Bible
4. The Picture of Dorian Gray

Author Websites and Profiles
Matthew David Evans Website

Matthew David Evans’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a retired obstetrician and gynecologist. Born, raised and educated in Belgium and immigrated to the US after obtaining my MD degree. People have often asked me about my experiences growing up in Belgium during the Nazi occupation. I have had many anecdotes to tell them, some sad, some funny and some exciting.

Many of my friends and colleagues have often encouraged me to write a book about my experiences. I always did pooh-poohed that idea as my book would be written in a a bit light hearted tone, on the background of a lot of suffering, atrocities and hardship. I thought that such a perspective might not be well received.

I finally relented and wrote about my experiences after my friends convinced me that the educated reader would be able to discern the protected environment this young boy, which is me, grew up in amidst the turmoil. Well here it is. You, the reader, are the judge.

The book is an e book available for free downloading from Smashwords.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Since I retired from clinical practice, I have written 3 books. The first one is about my career, which, to say the least, has been quite unorthodox. Again I resisted writing the book as I thought that not many people would be interested but my friends, family and colleagues finally convinced me that it was going to be worth while. And it has been. The title of the ebook is: “CROSSCULTURAL DOCTORING. ON AND OFF THE BEATEN PATH.” It also is available for free downloading from Smashwords.

The second book is the one described earlier above about World War II. And the third and last book is entitled : “THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND FAMILY PLANNING. TIME FOR A CHANGE” also available for free downloading from Smashword.

I did not need to be convinced by any one to write this one. The issue of the use of effective contraception by Catholics has been on my mind since I started practicing obstetrics and gynecology. I have always felt that the profound pressure by the Catholic Church on its members, to use only natural family planning, is ill founded and needs a change.

In writing this book, I am fully aware that I will be exposed to high powered rebuke by very learned followers of the Catholic Doctrine, but I have written this book not fro a theological perch but from the viewpoint and experiences of a practicing gynecologist.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, I just sit in front of the computer and start typing. I have realized that starting a book is hard, but once into it it seems to flow spontaneously and I enjoy it. I constantly check with my wife and ask her what she thinks and, what I have forgotten and what I tell poorly.

The reason I have made all three books available as e books, rather than hard copy, is that I have found Smashwords a very easy to use and practical free (I have no extra money to spend) method for getting published. The reason that I make the books available for free downloading is that I am not out to make money and have identified worthwhile recipients of a possible donation (no obligation) in lieu of a downloading fee.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
None specifically, although Hemingway has been my favored.

What are you working on now?
Trying to get my three books more publicity.That is harder and more expensive than writing and publishing.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am trying to find out.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Follow your passion, listen to your friends, family and colleagues and get started. Just do it. Inspiration comes while you are at it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Follow your passion.

What are you reading now?
Salmon Rushdie: The Golden House.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Do not know yet. May be nothing.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would want to read again “The old man and the Sea”, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “A Farewell to Arms” by Ernest Hemingway; and also “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach.

Author Websites and Profiles
William LeMaire Author Profile on Smashwords

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Glenn writes inspiring adventures with an edge. No matter how dark the day, finding hope to pursue the prize is the core of all his novels and studies. He is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), a graduate of Vision Loss Resources and Bethel Seminary, the father of six and grandfather of seven. Glenn likes tandem biking, kayaking, and daydreaming and lives in Minneapolis with his wife. He is also an award-winning author with short stories published in Splickety, Havok, Cadet Quest and Partners. Chase, the third book in his Intense series is scheduled for release April 1, 2018. You can visit him at www.glennhaggerty.com, and reach him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GlennHaggertyAuthor, and on Twitter, @grhaggertyjr

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Chase, Intense Book 3
Like most of my books and short stories, Chase was initially just a picture in my mind. A scene where a lowlife drug-dealer’s meeting with one of his runners turned into an incident which expanded into a full length novel. I tried to put myself into the mindset of these characters and the story took off from there. Interestingly, I ended up cutting that scene and reworking it into a different setting and another short story. But by then the bull was out of the pen as it were and the story had to be written!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I often get some great ideas and insights as I ride my stationary bike. Great coffee is a must, strong and dark roast but with cream and sugar. Our Keurig makes a fast fix, but if I’m desperate, a shot of espresso and hot chocolate in a cup of skim milk will stimulate my creative juices or power me through writer’s fatigue. And Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are the best writing fuel food.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
C.S. Lewis, John Grisham have stimulated and influenced me both as a reader and writer. The most influential book of my life has been the Bible—by far. For learning the craft of writing,
I think Randy Ingermanson’s Perfect Scene where he builds upon and made more understandable, concepts from Dwight Swain’s Techniques of the Selling Writer had the most influence as far as micro techniques. Then the macrostructures of Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell helped me “put it together.”

What are you working on now?
My next book in the Intense series is tentatively titled, Hyde, which follows the theme of the first two books and once again also serves as the name of the main antagonist. It set in Florida where Tyler is vacationing with his cousins. Once again, they get caught up in a mysterious disappearance that has to do with modern-day pirates and treasure buried in plain sight. I’ve done some research on the Spanish gold fleet of Seventeen-fifteen and discovered some interesting possibilities.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth referral is the best method of promoting books. The best way to spark those referrals is through a personal visit with middle school students. The best website? There are so many!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It’s a big job to tackle. You might try writing a short story first, say 1000 to 1500 words. I began my writing career that way and it gave me insight as to how massive writing a book can be. It also opened the door to learning the craft of creative writing which is different from other types of writing. And ultimately, short stories provided writing credits when they were published in several magazines.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Trust God, do good and love mercy.

What are you reading now?
Werewolf Cop by Andrew Klavan, and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continue writing the Intense Series. After Hyde, I have a couple of germs of stores, but nothing concrete. I will, however, be adding some non-fiction books, companion studies initially, designed to help students deal with issues of friendship, bullying and dating

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The first would be the Bible, the second, a good desert survival handbook. The third book would be a really good compilation of jokes I think.

Author Websites and Profiles
Glenn Haggerty Website
Glenn Haggerty Amazon Profile

Glenn Haggerty’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
In the last eleven years I’ve been constantly writing: short stories for literary contests, novels, essays. Some of my creatures have been published on the Italian market: about twenty of my short stories in anthologies; “Tarja dei lupi”, Tabula Fati, 2008; two essays on writing (“Per scrivere bisogna sporcarsi le mani”, Eremon, 2011 – “La via delle parole”, Eremon, 2015), and the novel “Cercando Goran”, which has become “Searching for Goran”, traslated for the English-speaking market by Juliet Bates. I have four more novels ready for publication, but at present I’m focussing on helping “Saerching for Goran” find its way.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book – a YA novel – has no title yet, though it’s almost ready for the readers. It’s the story of a boy and a girl who are trying to solve their personal problems shutting themselves away from the world. When they meet a girl whose problems are much more serious than the ones they are facing, they decide to help her together, and on the way they understand that supporting each other – not isolating oneself – is always the key… and they find love, of course.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I just sit down at my desk and write, possibly with a cup of tea. I also have a tray on my desk, containing all the small things I collect while walking in nature, such as feathers, stones, pieces of wood and bark. It’s become like an altar to me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My cult book has been and still is “The Lord of the Rings”, but I have read and appreciated so many authors in my life that I find it impossibile to decide which one influenced my writing the most. I think they all did.

What are you working on now?
It’s a NA story. The main character lets her life fall apart after her brother’s death, but the encounter with a weird guy gives her the chance to pull back before reaching a point of no return.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve always sent requests for reviews to blogs so far. Only recently I’ve discovered promoting sites. I’m very curious to see how they work.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Love writing more than the idea of being a writer, more than publication, otherwise you’ll easily stop writing. Protect your gift from ambition, greed and haste.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write every day. Even fifteen minutes will do.

What are you reading now?
“Walden, or Life in the Woods” by Thoreau. I love it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Learning to promote my books, since I’ve decided to self-publish them. As an indie author, you cannot consider promotion as the bad side of writing. It’s a way to connect with your readers, so it has to be a beautiful experience, just as writing your stories… well, almost.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Lord of the Rings, Talking with Angels (transcribed by Gitta Mallasz) and a book on the plants and animals and rocks peculiar to that island.

Author Websites and Profiles
Grazia Gironella Website
Grazia Gironella Amazon Profile

Grazia Gironella’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written & published 12 novels (1 being a second edition). I was born in Blenheim and educated at Marlborough College and Waikato University. After a long public service career, which included working for the New Zealand Department of Conservation, I retired early to write fulltime.
A family man, I now live in Wellington with my wife and our boarding pet – Sergei, a ginger cat.
For more details see my website and press kit.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Political Secret” was inspired by the USA/North Korea tensions in 2017 & the idea of a chase in some of New Zealand’s most beautiful natural scenery.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t wait for inspiration. I write for a fixed number of hours every day – good habits left over from my salaried careers.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to select from but Grisham is one of my favourite authors.

What are you working on now?
An idea for my next novel – another thriller.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter is my preference but I use several websites.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t publish without using the services of a professional editor.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give up writing or hoping.

What are you reading now?
The Contest by Carne Maxwell – “Martin Fallaway is dying. With no family to whom he can leave his surplus fortune, he holds a contest on his tropical island where ten families compete to be the last team left in order to claim the prize of thirty million dollars.” Half way through as at mid-March 2018.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Not much, I guess. I turn 74 in a couple of months. I may write till I drop or figure out that’s not a brainpower option any longer.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Thrillers I haven’t already read, by best selling authors – apologies to fellow indie authors but their quality of writing is always a gamble.

Author Websites and Profiles
Thomas W Devine Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Ruth A. Symes is a freelance writer and historian for several genealogical, historical and literary magazines including Family Tree Magazine UK, Who Do You Think You Are Magazine and Discover Your Ancestors Periodical, Scottish Field, Scottish Heritage, and Leopard. Amongst her books are four family history titles: (1) Stories From Your Family Tree: Researching Ancestors Within Living Memory (The History Press, 2008) -this was republished and updated in 2016 as (1) Unearthing Family Tree Mysteries, Pen and Sword Book, 2016); (2) It Runs in the Family : Understanding More About Your Ancestors (The History Press, 2013); (3) Family First: Tracing Relationships in the Past (Pen and Sword Books, 2015) and (4) Tracing Your Ancestors Through Letters and Personal Writings (Pen and Sword, 2016). I also co-wrote The Governess: Anthology (The History Press, 1997); and The Northern Utopia: British Perceptions of Norway in the Nineteenth Century (Rodopi Press, 2003). I edited From Corncrake to Combine: Memoirs of a Cheshire Farmer (Tempus Publishing, 2008) and contributed the introduction to Alan Roby’s Miss Weeton: Governess and Traveller, (Wigan Archive, 2016).

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Tracing Your Ancestors Through Letters and Personal Writings (Pen and Sword, 2016). I was inspired to write this by realising that many people in the past whom we might have presumed to be illiterate were actually scribbling away in the margins of books, annotating recipes, keeping diaries and travel journals, composing elliptical telegrams and cards and generally putting pen to paper in all sorts of ways in the Victorian period and early twentieth-century. I wanted to explore what these writings (both in their content and in their chosen format) could tell us about our ancestors and the times in which they lived.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Always write like I’m painting an impressionist painting, a bit here a bit there, fill in the gaps and stand back to view the whole. Lots of editing and revision.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
A. S. Byatt
Kate Summerscale
Charlotte Bronte
Barbara Pym
Sebastian Faulks
Laurie Lee
D. H. Lawrence
George Eliot
Harper Lee
Virginia Woolf

What are you working on now?
Articles on the Armistice of 1918 for Family History magazines

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My blog www.searchmyancestry.blogspot.co.uk

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write on – even if it’s rubbish – and then revise, revise, revise.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s never too late to be what you originally wanted to be!

What are you reading now?
Emily Bronte: A Chainless Soul by Katherine Frank

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m in the process of writing a period drama for screen. It’s based on the life of an early nineteenth-century governess.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
High Windows by Philip Larkin
Miss Weeton: Governess and Traveller ed. Alan Roby
To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

Author Websites and Profiles
Ruth A Symes Website
Ruth A Symes Amazon Profile
Ruth A Symes Author Profile on Smashwords

Ruth A Symes’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a newly published author, currently working on my second novel. I’m also a lucky mummy to two fantastic children and a wife to my supportive, yet rather annoying husband
Besides writing I spend my day to day life as a nurse in training (I qualify next year!), it pleases my soul; whereas writing pleases my mind and my family, my heart.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called Eternal Entity. It’s the first in The Celestial Rose series. Book one is about a girl called Taylor Lane, who finds herself in the middle of a supernatural war, she never asked for any of this, all she truly wants is to find out who she really is. On her path she meets the devilishly handsome Lucian Darkwater. He helps her to find out why she can wield light magic and who she really is. The two just so happen to fall in lone along the way.
Book one doesn’t have a pretty ending, is quite raw and heart-breaking. But book two really brings out the humour in both Taylor and Lucian as they quest to find one another and take on the darkness that threatens to end all of humanity.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t call it unusual, but then aren’t we all a tad unusual at times? But I have ended up writing the majority of book two on my mobile while at the hospital. Habit wise, nope, none that spring to mind

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, my all-time favourite author, how can you not love his tragic mind? Besides King, the books on my shelf are mainly supernatural thrillers, horrors and fantasy. My all-time favourite book has to be Alice in Wonderland, and I’d say Alice’s journey down the rabbit hole has certainly influenced my style of writing.

What are you working on now?
Book two of The Celestial Rose series. I’m over half way through, with this book and two others planned.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth is always the best method of promotion. Please talk, it’s a good thing, let’s just hope its about your book! Besides that, I’ve found Amazon adverts work quite well, as does Twitter and Instafreebie.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, keep writing and never stop writing. It’s that simple.
Also, believe in yourself, you can do this.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Show don’t tell… unless you really have to. Theres a book a friend of mine wrote about this and other writing hacks, I highly recommend it. It’s called ‘Hack Your Writing’ by May Dawney. Read this and you won’t go wrong!

What are you reading now?
Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler. Having spent a years placement in theatres I have to say her attention to detail is fantastic.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep on writing. I enjoy what I do, and love getting feedback, especially fan art… which is one area I’m awful at! I commissioned the illustrations in Eternal Entity and I’m so pleased with them! I’m hoping to commission more for book two as well.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Is this a serious question? I’m only allowed three or four books… I am quite sure I would be able to fit more in a suitcase!
I’d have to take my old copy of Alice in Wonderland; besides that, I would be completely stuck, there is simply too many to choose from!

Author Websites and Profiles
Annalee Adams Website
Annalee Adams Amazon Profile

Annalee Adams’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
We are Gabo & Viktor, healthy freaks obssesed with workouts, protein and food. We rather eat tons of cheesecakes than chicken broth. Noa, that is not actually true. But this book shows you our favourite feasts. Thanks to European healthy bloggers. This is ours 1st one

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Easy & Healthy: Baking With European Fitness Bloggers
As I mentioned, we are healthy freaks and love sweet quality stuff to consume. This is the bulk of the best from the Instagram

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
writing the notes before bed time

What authors, or books have influenced you?
james altucher, tim ferriss, ryan holiday

What are you working on now?

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
FFF = friends, fools & family + https://kindlepreneur.com/list-sites-promote-free-amazon-books/ + http://fitrecipe.blog/ + our social media

Do you have any advice for new authors?
write at least word a day

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
focus
choose carefully
be patient

What are you reading now?
I am Zlatan & Sapiens

What’s next for you as a writer?
to make 2nd book

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
– motivational book
– book how to live alone
– body weight exercise

Author Websites and Profiles
Viktor Stefanak Website
Viktor Stefanak Amazon Profile

Viktor Stefanak’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
6- “A deal with God-The power of One” is my most successful and best known. I am traditionally published with Dusty Saddles Publishing. We put together a real cool website : countrywesternbooks.com- I am currently finishing up the sequel to the best selling western “Jake Dukes-Vengeance Executed”.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I am leaning toward “Jake Dukes- Vengeance Demanded”. When you read the first Jake you want the sequel. It is one of those stories you never want to end.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. I figure out a cool storyline. I write the ending first. If it does not have a great ending I won’t waste my time on the rest.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Mark Twain. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. I like escapism. I like a book that makes me want to live what the character is living.

What are you working on now?
I just signed with Dusty Saddles Publishing to write a series of Westerns. I think we can continue to put out 2 solid stories/books per year.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
AdealwithGodbook.com and countrywesternbooks.com- also amazon.com/books

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be patient and don’t expect this to be your livelihood. Write because you love to write. It is a very complicated vocation.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get a big New York City (Big 5) publisher to back you.

What are you reading now?
Tombstone

What’s next for you as a writer?
My books are now just hitting the stores and I love traveling and doing book signings.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Probably a book or two on survival. A deal with God and A Mark Twain box set lol

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. Though I’ve moved a few times and had the good fortune to live in several states, I always return to the Mountains. Nowadays I travel and visit new places as often as I can, but I love knowing that I can come “home.” I travel internationally whenever possible, and (as a Spanish teacher) I hope to see every Spanish-speaking country within the next 10-15 years (I’ve seen five so far).

I have written four books and have several more in the works. Dive Into Spanish was my first book (I wrote it in high school) and is a short self-taught Spanish course. Command Line BASIC is for hobbyists and others interested in learning to program in BASIC line by line (ideal for nerds like me). Mikao’s Journey: The Story of Reiki is a kid’s book that tells the fascinating story of Reiki’s discovery by Mikao Usui. Mastering Peace is a guide for finding (and keeping) inner peace.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book is called “Mikao’s Journey: The Story of Reiki.” As a Reiki master I really enjoy using Reiki and sharing it with others. There are thousands of Reiki books and resources for adults…but when I searched I couldn’t find very many “kid-friendly” Reiki books. So I wrote one that introduces kiddos to the wonderful energy that is Reiki and the person who discovered it, Mikao Usui.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Most of the time I like to write in bed and do best after 10 pm. When I can I also like to write in coffee shops or cafes — the ambiance always gets my creative energy flowing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are so many more influential authors and books in my life than I could possibly name. J.K. Rowling (of course) showed me what’s possible to accomplish in book-form in a way that no other author had. If you’ve read the Harry Potter series, you know exactly what I’m talking about. C.S. Lewis’ Narnia books, which I later read, similarly impacted me. Others such as Bridge to Terabithia and A Wrinkle in Time were also formational. As I grew older I developed an interest in dystopian fiction (and “banned books” in general) such as Fahrenheit 451 (and more by Bradbury), The Handmaid’s Tale, 1984, and others. I see part of my responsibility as a writer as “telling the whole truth” as the authors of these books have done. The stakes are too high for anything less.

What are you working on now?
I am writing a short book for people in academia (PhD students/postdoctoral fellows/ABDs) who want to transition out of academia and into K-12 education. There’s such a need for public school teachers in this country and there are far fewer academic positions available than there are people to fill them. I transitioned from a PhD program to teaching in a public school, so I know firsthand what “to” and “not to” do to make the process go smoothly.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have always done better with in-person promotions (approaching bookstores, event organizers, etc.).

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t worry about perfection. Of the newspaper articles, magazine stories, and books that I have published…I can’t think of a single one that I didn’t look back on and say “wow I wish I could change xyz” or “I wish I had written abc instead.” There is no absolute perfection in writing or in life as we know it. If perfection is the goal, you’ll never finish or publish anything. Learn to see the beauty in imperfections.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Anne Lamott’s writing is full of wise advice. Her take on the importance of “shitty first drafts” has helped me and countless others embrace the writing-revision process. Yet her best advice to me (also found in the same book, “Bird by Bird,” and written much more eloquently by her than by me) is to write what I know and to write authentically. Sometimes young writers just need permission to be themselves.

What are you reading now?
I am reading Summer Sisters by Judy Blume, the Edge of the Sea by Rachel Carson, and Self-Inflicted Wounds by Aisha Tyler. I can’t read just one book at a time.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am working on my first novel. I usually stick to non-fiction, so this is a new and exciting challenge for me! The book involves a shipwreck, a handful of crazy scientists, and lots of awkward situations.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (to remind me that there’s a reason for this journey), some sort of field guide (to help me identify edible plants), and whatever Thich Nhat Hanh book was handy (to keep me centered).

Author Websites and Profiles
Chris Anama-Green Website
Chris Anama-Green Amazon Profile
Chris Anama-Green Author Profile on Smashwords

Chris Anama-Green’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have just had my first book published with Abela publishing. I currently live in Glasgow, Scotland and write historical fiction. My book, The Children Of Midgard, is set in Norway in the early Viking era.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Children Of Midgard was inspired by the sagas, myths and legends of the ancient Norse people.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Other than losing days to writing, and research which I love, I tend to write my books from the point of view of several characters within the story! I love the shift between what makes the characters tick and their motivations.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Karen Maitland – The Company Of Liars
Bernard Cornwell – The Last Kingdom
JRR Tolkien – The Lord Of The Rings

What are you working on now?
I am editing my next manuscript and working on a collection of short stories. The Children Of Midgard feedback is keen on a follow-up book, which is really marvellous to hear!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have my own website where I keep people up to date on book signings, reviews and appearances at book festivals. Recently I have done three radio interviews which have proven to be very successful.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up, research, have faith in your work and ability, and just keep writing!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Every story deserves to be told – my grandfather encouraged me from a young age, he encouraged my reading and I’m forever grateful for that.

What are you reading now?
The Whale Road – Robert Low
A Little History of Religion – Richard Holloway

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m doing a reading of an extract of my book at Glasgow’s Aye Write book festival, it’s an amazing opportunity and I’m really thrilled.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Viking Tales – Jenni Hall
Karen Maitland – The Company of Liars
Ernest Hemingway – The Sun Also Rises
The Princess Bride – William Goldman

Author Websites and Profiles
Siobhan Clark Website
Siobhan Clark Amazon Profile

Siobhan Clark’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am 13 years old, I like reading and writing. I have written 2 books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is called Rosie Jones’ Life After Adoption, which is a continuation of my first book titled Rosie Jones The Orphan Girl.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jacqueline Wilson really influenced me because I really like reading her books and her book titled The Story Of Tracy Breaker really inspired me to start writing.

What are you working on now?
I am working on marketing both books properly.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for new authors is that you have to believe in yourself and believe that you can do it. You shouldn’t let anyone or anything bring you down. Secondly, don’t get distracted, don’t let other things get in your way. Also, while your writing always have a point where you want to start at. I would recommend to drink a lot of water while writing because your imagination will be very alert. Lastly, let your imagination take you to another world.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have heard is to believe in yourself and to never say never.

What are you reading now?
The World Worst Children By David Williams.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Definitely write some more books.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Double Act, How To Survive Summer Camp, The Worst Thing About My Sister.

Mary Dada’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and have ended up doing just that, though I’m a non-fiction writer rather than a novelist, despite my childhood imaginings. I write every day… but I’m usually writing web content. I’ve written many thousands of words, but only one book so far.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first book is called Raising Your Coeliac Child: What you need to know, and it is based on our 20 years of experience as the parent of a child with coeliac disease. I found the support from other parents of coeliacs to be invaluable – so I hope this book will be useful to others. It’s not a recipe book! It discusses the key issues facing families as they start to manage the gluten free diet for their child:
• Knowing what can (or can’t) be safely eaten
• Discussing the diagnosis with children and other adults
• The psychological impact of the diagnosis
• Dealing with the daily details, from school trips and birthday parties to travelling and eating out
• Dealing with negative comments—and making mistakes.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No..Just coffee and a keyboard. I do use an ergonomic mouse and keyboard at a standing desk, though, so that’s probably unusual. I’ve tried using speech recognition software, which I know works for many writers, but it’s not for me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Far too many to list. There’s something to learn from every book.

If you’re writing web content, then Letting Go of the Words by Ginny Redish is excellent.

What are you working on now?
Right now? Web content for a client.

For myself, though – my next book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Ask me again in a year, when I’ve had more experience…

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Proofreading and editing matters even more than you think it does. I know you’ve already heard this—but it’s true.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never stop learning.

What are you reading now?
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers. I’m reading it for the second time in a few months; I wish I’d written it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
It’s too early to reveal details of my next project. I’ll let you know.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s a hard one…

I’ll go for four books: a trilogy by Robin Hobbs (probably the Farseer trilogy, but a new trilogy, one I hadn’t read, would be great!) and a book called something like ‘Surviving on a Desert Island for Beginners’ – I don’t know if it exists, but I’ll need it!

Author Websites and Profiles
Lucy Nixon Website
Lucy Nixon Amazon Profile

Lucy Nixon’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I started my artistic creation in the world of composing music. I even went to school for it for a time, but I felt pressure to do something more practical and changed majors to math. It was here that I met my husband.

I spent more time writing short stories, a novel, and blogging than I spent on my math studies, so I took a plunge and decided to become a full-time writer with the support of my husband.

I’ve now written ten books. Seven are romances, and I’ve branched out into other genres under a different name.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is The Harp of Dunnbog. I had been writing about a fictional small town in the U.S. called Merlin’s Grove where magical things happen. I wanted a break from that, but I wanted to continue with the idea of mixing gay romance with magical elements.

I’ve always been fascinated with the language and history of Ireland, so I made a new fictional small town set there. What’s could be a better location for ancient magic than the land of druids and faeries?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to want to write in a different place every day. One day the office, the next in the guest bedroom, the next on the couch, the next at the kitchen table.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up on fantasy like the Lord of the Rings, His Dark Materials, and Shannara. Back then gay romance wasn’t a thing. I found a few novels with gay characters, like At Swim, Two Boys, but they were rare. I basically read them in secret.

I always wished the two could be combined. Now paranormal mm romance is a thing, and it’s great!

What are you working on now?
I’ve outlined a new Merlin’s Grove book, but I might do the next book in the Irish Dream Hunks series first.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My best method has been to participate in Facebook groups dedicated to my genre and to tell them about a sale.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You will probably spend a ton of time looking for fast, easy ways to build a writing career. I know I did, and there’s a ton of books and youtube videos selling the idea to you.

In the end, there is no substitute for putting in the work day after day. If you do this, though, you’ll be rewarded with a slow but steady rise.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do your writing first thing in the morning. If you have a day job, get up earlier. Your willpower is diminished at the end of the day. Plus, you can reward yourself for getting it done with whatever else you like to do.

But everyone is different. I’ve heard of people that write best at night.

What are you reading now?
The Last Days of Magic by Mark Tompkins.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan on continuing in the two series I’ve started for the indefinite future. So if you’ve enjoyed those, they’ll keep coming.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
War and Peace: It’s long; I’ve heard it’s good; and I’d never read it except for that situation.

The Great Gatsby: It’s perfect and infinitely re-readable. Though I’m not sure it would resonate as much stuck on an island.

The entire Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for the fun to lighten the mood.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mark C. Wade Website
Mark C. Wade Amazon Profile

Mark C. Wade’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in Plano, Texas and graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a minor in Business in 2005.

My love of animals started at a very young age. As a child, I was constantly bringing home stray dogs and injured birds.

As an adult, my love of animals has only grown stronger. I have worked in numerous pet hotels as a dog trainer, and I am certified to teach pet first aid and CPR. Four years ago, all my experience with pets culminated when I found and raised an abandoned litter of day-old kittens. Not able to part with any of these now-grown babies, I enjoy going home to my “little munchkins” every night. This experience gave me the inspiration for my series debut, Megan’s Munchkins. The series continues with Megan’s Pet Sitting Adventure and Megan the Pet Whisperer.

I will always have a special affinity with Megan. I truly believe there are few experiences in life more compelling than saving the life of another being. I want to teach children proper pet care with the Megan’s World series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Megan the Pet Whisperer was just released on March 6th, 2018. It is the 3rd book in my Megan’s World series. It is inspired from my years of working in pet hotels. After studying animal behavior for dog training purposes, I found that I could get any scared pet to accept me as a friend. I gave Megan my skills for befriending animals, as well as my nickname of ‘the pet whisperer’. Like me, Megan starts off helping Monty, the capuchin monkey, and then wants to help all the other scared pets she hears about at the vet clinic.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a ritual that I follow every day. Before I get to work, I make sure the house is picked up so I don’t get distracted with chores. I then put on some classical music so I can start to work. When I’m outlining a book, I always do it with pen and paper. When I start writing the book, then I type it into the computer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite series when I was growing up were The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin and Thoroughbreds by Joanna Campbell. I was always fascinated on how they created new stories and kept the characters growing. I recently reread them both and was able to pick up some helpful ideas. Both of these are great examples of how to build and continue characters in a series.

What are you working on now?
I’m outlining and writing rough drafts of future books for the Megan’s World series as well as developing a picture book series, Sonny the Wonder Dog. The first book in the series will be Sonny from Outer Space. Aliens from the planet Dogstar send Zonny to Earth to scope out food and fuel supplies. While on Earth, Zonny takes the form of a Shih Tzu dog named Sonny. He is accepted into a young girl’s home. However, not being able to say anything but ‘woof’ is a challenge for him. Will his true plan and identity be revealed?

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve used a new promotional website for each of my book releases. I find it helps to keep finding new markets to keep sales increasing. The best resource I’ve found is Facebook and Twitter. I have grown a large following on both Facebook and Twitter. I make announcements on both for new books, cover reveals, and book signings.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do your research. Take your time learning the self-publishing business before you publish your first book. Then once your book is published, never stop learning. Keeping up with the latest developments is the only way you will keep your books in front of your audience.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“You can achieve whatever you put your mind to.” This is what my parents told me growing up. It is true. When you find something that you are passionate about and you are willing to work for it, you can do anything. I remind myself of this whenever I get discouraged.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Public Speaking for Authors, Creatives and the Introverts by Joanna Penn. It is filled with helpful tips for doing book presentations.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to write a young adult mystery. I have an idea and the start of the outline for the book. I will begin writing it soon.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would take Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham. This book makes me laugh every time, and I’d need entertainment on a desert island. I’d also include the Writer’s Idea Thesaurus by Fred White so I could entertain myself by writing stories. The last book I’d take is How to Survive on a Desert Island by Jim Pope. Since I’m not much of a wilderness person, I’ll need all the help I can get.

Author Websites and Profiles
Pamela Foland Website
Pamela Foland Amazon Profile

Pamela Foland’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve for the most part been a short story writer, only venturing out to longer form with my first novella. I recall a professor in college saying that most stories start too early, and finish too late. I took that to mind when writing the novella, which could have been half or twice as long if I’d chosen it to be. Consequently I always try to keep the narrative concise, with every word earning its place.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book The Gaiety is set initially in Victorian London, in 1899. I was attracted to this period by the launguage used back then. People generally spoke with more eloquence than they do today, which I think makes for a potentially greater nobility of character.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Some or many writers have the entire plot of their books written down or at least in their heads before they put pen to paper. They have a general idea where they’ll be plotwise on page 50, 100 etc. I’m a writer that comes up with an idea and then just starts writing (“stream of consciousness,” if you will). For instance, I somehow got the thought of a retired circus dwarf that mysteriously starts growing taller one day. That’s all I had, but soon I had a 20-page short story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dickens’ Christmas Carol is one of my favorites, as is Jayne Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I like some of Haruki Murakami’s works, and I’d imagine like myself he must go for the “stream of consciousness” approach.

What are you working on now?
I’m polishing up a few short stories that I wrote in grad school. They’ve sat in the drawer for too long and like forgotten friends thay want to come out to play.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m very new to the whole marketing aspect of the writer’s life. Many writers I know simply place their stories on Amazon, and then forget all about them. I understand that desire but the job of the writer (or any type of creative person) is to get their work out into the public consciousness. That takes marketing. And usually money. I’ve heard good things about Inkitt, but have yet to try them myself.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I think it was Thoreau who said something like “How vain it it to sit down to write when we haven’t stood up to live.” In short, we all need some experience of some kind to write about. Also, write, edit or market each day.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Major in business, minor in art.” It sounds negative, but while we’re becoming writiers of reknown we still need to put food on the table. It doesn’t do to forget that.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading some non fiction books by Bill Bryson, and also Malcolm Gladwell. Both great writers, and I believe fiction writers can learn from the non fiction crowd.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep chugging along trying to understand the mystery of e-book marketing. It’s a whole industry all to itself, and like most industries it has its share of those who will take your money and offer little in return. But there’s some good guys out there (like this site) who really want to help the likes of you and me in getting out stuff out there to the wider world.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, Shelley’s Frankenstein, Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot and Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written three novels and a dozen short stories.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Our Lady of the Hypercube was inspired by hardcore electronica, Mike Patton’s “Pranzo Oltranzista,” and the severe but beautiful martial art of Muay Thai.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes! Writing on sheets of paper at red lights during busy intersections.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Thomas Pynchon, Salman Rushdie, Philip K. Dick, Jorge Luis Borges, John Barth, Stanislaw Lem, Italo Calvino, Milorad Pavic, and Edgar Allen Poe.

What are you working on now?
An Arabian cyberpunk thriller and a comedy titled The Orange County Book of the Dead.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
https://bradleyvandeventer.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing and slough off all negative feedback.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“It’s all good.”

What are you reading now?
Tales of Pirx the Pilot by Stanislaw Lem.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Publish two more novels in 2018.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Collected Fictions, Jorge Luis Borges
The Complete Writings of Edgar Allen Poe
Philip K. Dick box set

Author Websites and Profiles
Bradley VanDeventer Website
Bradley VanDeventer Amazon Profile

Bradley VanDeventer’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a new author when it comes to novels. I have written some screenplays in the past, which is very fun for me, but you wait and wait for someone (anyone!) to read it. When you have your story in a book format, many more people have the opportunity to check out your work.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Plagued: Book One — The Girl Who Chased The Shadows.

I know, I know there are too many “The Girl” titled books. My tongue was planted firmly in my cheek when I chose that title. I suppose most won’t know that since this is my first introduction to readers. Eventually they will though.

As I mentioned earlier, I am a fan of screenplays. Plagued started out as a screenplay for a fifteen minute short film.

I had made the acquaintance of a very popular youtuber and we got to talking over lunch one day about her plans for Halloween. She likes to do something extra fun for her subscribers for various holidays.

After lunch I went home and started thinking of a story specifically for her. It took me a few weeks to put it together, and a few more ironing out the kinks. By the time I had finished, she had already green lit another Halloween project. Instead of feeling dejected I forged ahead with my idea.

Three years later here we are.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure if this is unusual or not really. I’m a pretty visual person. So when I’m writing there’s a movie playing in my head of all the characters. I cast those characters so it’s easier for me to write for them.

While at first Skyler was the popular youtuber, when I went on with the project without her, I had other young ladies in mind. Mostly Sasha Pieterse. Your audience may know her as Ally from Pretty Little Liars.

Sam Elliott, Jack Black, Anthony Sabato Jr. and many more were all in my head too.

Again, not sure if that’s unusual or not.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Gosh. I have always loved to read. Probably ever book I’ve ever read has influenced me somehow. The classics, Tolkien, the Dune series, the Shannara series, books from the Star Wars universe, Clive Cussler, Agatha Christie, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Helen Fielding and many more. I really like a ton of different things.

Also movies have inspired me. I’m a fan of B movies. Terrible ones. I also love grindhouse type movies. Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror is just perfect in every way for me.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on Plagued: Book 2 right now.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m new to this so maybe I should be asking that. Let me know!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writing the book is just half the battle. Promotion is tricky and I still haven’t figured it out myself. Don’t give up!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes well you might find
You get what you need

What are you reading now?
Chapter Five of my sequel over and over and over.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to keep on keeping on with my story ideas until I run out of them.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Geez I’d probably want “Surviving On A Desert Island For Dummies.”

A bible would be handy.

Author Websites and Profiles
Garrison Scott Website
Garrison Scott Amazon Profile

Garrison Scott’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing for over twenty years but only plucked up the courage to share my scribbles with world two years ago. I initially self published before being taken on by Creativia. They have since published seven of my books. I am so grateful for the support I have received from their amazing network of authors, some of whom I now consider my friends. Always there to lend a listening ear and words of wisdom. I’ve written four crime thrillers, two childrens books and one romance novella. All of my books are available from Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called The Reckoning. It’s a crime thriller which I hope makes the reader think twice about the way they feel about the killer. I want the reader to clearly see both sides of the story so that they get a better understanding of life’s blurred lines between right and wrong.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not sure if it’s unusual but I drink copious amounts of tea when i’m writing and my elderly rabbit Domino likes to scamper around the kitchen under my feet when i’m writing too. He seems to enjoy the company or perhaps he just enjoys the clickety clack sound of the keyboard. I’m a morning writer. I find i’m better in the morning than later in the day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My greatest influence I have to admit is Isla Dewar. It was after reading one of her early books that I decided to have a go myself although it was a long time before I saw my work in print.

What are you working on now?
Right now i’m trying something unusual. Kids horror. Nothing too scary obviously but I’ve been inspired by my son’s love of RL Stine’s Goosebumps series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Social media is the writers’ best friend I think. It’s vital to have a large network with whom to share your writing. I have a small group on Facebook called Kerry’s Review Crew who are the first to read and review my books. Reviews are so important to a writer.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice is just do it. Nobody can write your book for you and don’t worry about the first draft. No first draft is perfect. Enjoy it. It’s a magical journey.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To keep things in perspective. One bad review doesn’t mean your work is awful. Focus on the positive!

What are you reading now?
Right now i’m reading Lost Connections by Jim Ody. This is the second of his I’ve read and i’m enjoying it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep writing and enjoying what I do. Finish this kids book which is about a young boy who discovers he is able to help spirits move on to the afterlife. He’s a rescue medium.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Darkly dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay – love Dexter Morgan.
The Da Vinci code – Dan Brown – one of my favourite books.
Any biography by a comedian – to make me laugh.
Any biography by a jockey or racehorse trainer – I love racing.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kerry Watts Website
Kerry Watts Amazon Profile

Kerry Watts’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Review
MAN’S RECONCILIATION WITH GOD
Sevarion Nadiradze started activities in e poetry field in the late 80s of the 20th century, a period when the streets of Tbilisi city was overcrowded with angry people having an aim to protest against the Soviet Union. Entire country was determined to overthrow the existing regime. in the same time, nobody had an idea how would be a new state or how to live in a liberated Georgia.
“The promised land” is a dream of characters that appear in Sevarion Nadiradze,s works. The author enriched a Georgian poetry with his original themes. The topics he chooses are directly linked to the rejuvenation-transformation of his country, as if the planet has to be born over again, “new sky and new land”, that will be ruled by a new individual, free of any kind of sins,
pure and unspoiled, as the first inhabitants of paradise.
Sevarion Nadiradze has written the vast number of lyrical verses, some poems and novels. Huge part of his activities, his verses: “Waiting for the Sun, Wen it is Dark”, “Turn on the Light”, “Poet and Hurricane”, as well as poems: “Magi and Stars”, “Voice from the World”, etc. are distinguished with their biblical, mythological, and optimistic moral-ethical motivations. s. nadiradze,s poems primarily are built on the ground of biblical stories. Though, the author finds a link between biblical chronicles stories. Though, the author finds a link between biblical chronicles and the country,s current dilemmas, brother killing war in Tbilisi is e synonym of Cain, who violently assassinated and killed his brother, Abel.
The novel “khaki yashmak” is written about the tragic that occurred in Abkhazia in the beginning of 1990s, the novel is inspired by the will of prosperous future, humanism, friendship and amity in the Caucasus region.
The presented novel “The way of flour”, its characters have relations with the past, as majority of them having sins originated in the soviet regime and those sins are still remained as an extension into freed Georgia.
in that rough time, when Georgia tried to escape from Russia’s yoke, all unwanted weaknesses came up. As the Russians were pressing the Georgian people for two hundred years and the people stayed without true belief. envy, treachery, greediness, cruelty were determining factors of citizens’ actions. The reality revealed that the people had forgotten all essential components of the life: freedom, spiritual tranquility, economic comforts had to be obtained with the hard work and religious devotion.
In the novel, the author is showing us the people whose belief in God is barely surviving. The enemies have attained all the wishes they had: separated country, brother against hid own brother, a family against another one, village against village. After Russia’s military invasion, Abkhazia and Tskinvali regions were cut from the motherland in 1993.
According to the novel, there is a true path, only one connected to the real freedom. Having a bad experience of being under the communist regime for seventy year, the path is to follow our God’s rules and regulations. The keynote of novel is described in its title: “The way of flour” that means to receive the Eucharist and to follow the lord’s trail. Flour, is a soul of bread – flesh of Christ, symbol of Eucharist, unifying the world.
“The way of flour” is telling us a village inhabitants’ life. Symbolically, they are illustrated as sinned people of that time. In the novel, the symbol of kindness, love, virtue and faith is a unity Tone where the bread is baked for Eucharist (Tone – A traditional, freestanding, beehive-shaped baker’s oven made of clay) and it is a place, where a holiness of the country is kept. A lyrical hero of the novel, accidently discovers that Tone in his village: “I was amazed,- S. Nadiradze is narrating, – touching, – touching the Tone, fell down my knees and kisseed it, as it was a miraculous alcove, fundament of the cathedral, a ladder to the truth.
Grandfather of Baduri and Jibo, Bikenti Zviadadze and Imeda Mkhedrishvili had built this Tone right on the edge of their houses. It was the sign of their firm friendship and a symbol of unity, to avoid fencing the area and to remain the Tone in the same place and keep it in a good condition as a symbol of unity.
S.Nadiradze s narrating manner is an exciting one, when telling us about a civil war that occurred in the 1990s in Georgia. The bloody war between supporters of the first president of Georgia and resistance group is symbolized in the two characters, Badur Zviadadze and Jibo mkhedrishvili’s confrontation. Grown up as brothers, who had forgotten the ancestors will, became fighters against each other. “The most tragic period in Georgia started, – the author is telling, – since Baduri and Jibo had badly renovated the Tone with fire-resistant bricks. Since that day, the bread has lost its genuine taste. The Tone, that used to as hot as the San, now is more looks lake the Crescent , cold and isolated. Abkhazia and Samachablo have been lost. The mothers were sobbing. The people were divided into two different groups, whose aim was to triumph over each other. This was a cruel marathon and Baduri and Jibo were involved in this battle as well”.
The tragic drama that is a plot of this novel occasionally resembles o grotesque. Defects of human behavior sometimes are exaggerated by the author. The most grotesque character has adolph mamulia. some dangerous moments are followed by funny situations and “The Way of flour” is read with a great pleasure. In the novel, one by one is showing pictures where the people with many sins are behaving miserably. The god’s mercy disappeared, desperate is everywhere, maternity homes are on lockdown, worms are eating the trees, fertility is about to vanish. The people suffer but the lord remains quiet , because the villagers are lacking a clemency.
Malicious people have to be punished, bat according to the novel, one kind person, clergyman Zakharia Mrevlishvili lives in the San village, who the author depends on to find out a solution. father Zakharia has a distinguished mission to fulfill, similar to biblical Moses, to lead his people to the place where there is a hope and the promised land. fighting against evil, hi does a great effort and makes his irreligious village dwellers to feel regret. Having a deep thoughts and struggle, the people show up at the village church with the strong will of repentance. Confession episode is the most impressive one in the novel. Consequently, the almighty Cod’s grace flowed in their life. The village, that is a representation of the whole world, rejuvenates.
In the final episode of “The Way of Flour” an amazing picture is shown. The sins free world is returning back to its pure commencement. The best period comes down for the human being, which in the novel is presented as signs of the spring,like in old eposes. Cold and gloomy country is converted into a state where all the beautiful flowers are blooming. The Eucharist bread and wine is shared among the people living in different continents: “There are no boundaries between the inhabitants, – S. Nadiradze have been abolished and instead, huge Tone’s are built, as an icon of anti Babylon castle”
The category of the novel is eschatological.Mountain tops are covered with the flowers, the Golden Cradle from the bazaleti Lake is unchained and the biblical Manana coming form above, are the messengers of finest era of the human being. The world returns back to its original condition of a huge love of the mankind.
It is pleasant to mention, that the novel is to be published in English that will let foreign readers understand what the Georgian spirit is, meet a modern Georgian novelist and country of Georgiacoverall.
———–
Khvtiso Mamisimedishvili.
Professor of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State university.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My last novel “Khaki Color Yashmak” tells us about the Soviet empire. It tells the advent of Caucasian boys in the Soviet armies. Caucasian boys are confronted with injustice, but this novel is not yet translated into English …

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing special, I write the truth

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love a lot of writers, every one of them taught me something new …

What are you working on now?
Now I’m working on poetry

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I share my friends’ opinions

Do you have any advice for new authors?
To read many, travel and write the truth …

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
never give up

What are you reading now?
Byzantine mythology

What’s next for you as a writer?
I write a romance on Italian guerrillas

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
These authors will be Steinbeck, Markes and Dostoyevsky

Author Websites and Profiles
Sevarion Nadiradze Website
Sevarion Nadiradze Amazon Profile

Sevarion Nadiradze’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am just a husband and father who loves to create. I’ve written songs, screenplays, children’s books, and now I have finished book one of the epic fantasy Tayus Destiny: The Three Orphans.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Tayus Destiny: The Three Orphans, Book One is now available for purchase on Amazon. I was inspired in many ways to develop the characters for this story. I love science fiction and I was always into Marvel, DC comics, and anime from a young age. As I got older, I wanted to tell a hero’s story about a boy who wanted powers, but didn’t know the struggle, pain, and responsibilities that came with them.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m sure there is nothing usual about anything that I do. I do have children, so when I’m writing I have to tune them out in various ways. I like to go to quiet, dark places. I also like to get in the back seat of my SUV and turn the epic movie music up loud and zone out with some green tea and my laptop. I also prefer to write my first draft with a gel pen and edit on my MacBook. I like the fact that once I write something, it stays, like how something done in life cannot be undone.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
J.K. Rowland has influenced me because she was just an ordinary woman who took a chance with her writing and got rejected several times and now she is world famous.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on Tayus Destiny: The Three Orphans, Book Two, as well as a new Children’s book that is being illustrated by an artist and friend of mine at the moment.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m new to the published author scene, so we will have to see what method catches on. I do like to promote on Facebook with my author page and groups.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. The only way you can make your book a success is if people know you’ve created it. If you’re worried about someone stealing your property, COPYRIGHT it!!! Don’t worry about making it perfect, because we’ve all seen horrible movies that made it to the box office and had success. Just do you, and stick to it. You will be GREAT!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve ever heard is… “The worst ‘vice’ is advice.” Do yourself a favor and stop listening to others. The craziest thing the world did, was convince you that GOD was in the sky or somewhere outside of you. Everything you’re looking for is already within you.

What are you reading now?
I mostly read scripts now, seeing as that’s what I edit. I go back to anything by Napoleon Hill at least twice a week.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continue to push the brand of Tayus Destiny, so you may see me at a convention, museum, library, or event near you!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Farris, Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill, and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

Author Websites and Profiles
S Daughtry Website

S Daughtry’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Canadian writer, I recently completed my first novel. It’s a military science fiction novel about a Martian pilot during an interplanetary war. Along with that, I’ve written six short stories, most of which are available on Kindle.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest short story: The Fallen, was inspired my own training within the Canadian Armed Forces. Though it is a work of fiction, it deals with a lot of realities that come with the job. My own fear of losing a close friend in a combat situation really drove the story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write primarily in longhand, with a pen and notepad. Most of my novel was written during a field exercise with the military. I spent most of my free time curled in my sleeping bag with a notepad.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Robert Heinlein, Joe Haldeman, Pierce Brown, Orson Scott Card, Stephen King, Andy Weir, Justin Cronin.

What are you working on now?
Second draft of my Sci-Fi novel, titled Aderes.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon Kindle.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read a lot, write a lot. (Boring I know.) But it’s true. There’s no shortcut, no magical recipe.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?

What are you reading now?
Iron Gold by Pierce Brown

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to start a trilogy sometime this year. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a few years.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Red Rising series. Never gets old.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kody Greene Amazon Profile